David Harbour and John Cena are set to headline the upcoming comedy feature The Family Disappears, produced by Fifth Season and directed by Jonatan Etzler, Deadline reported. The script features thriller undertones written by Brendan O’Hare, with principal photography scheduled to begin in Atlanta, Georgia on November 10.
David Harbour and John Cena Star in Fifth Season Project
- The Premise: An overworked father returns from a business trip to find his family vanished and a stranger occupying his home.
- The Talent: Two-time Emmy winner David Harbour and Emmy nominee John Cena lead the cast under Swedish director Jonatan Etzler.
- The Studio & Producers: Produced by Fifth Season, alongside Nick Weidenfeld through Friends Night and Alexis Garcia through CAT5.
The Family Disappears Begins Production in Atlanta
Production on The Family Disappears gets underway in Atlanta, Georgia on November 10. Producers Nick Weidenfeld and Alexis Garcia previously collaborated on the Fifth Season and A24 comedy Friendship, starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd.
According to Deadline, the tone of The Family Disappears shares similarities with Friendship and HBO’s DTF St. Louis, a suburban satire that recently earned David Harbour an Emmy win. Director Jonatan Etzler steps into the project following his work on the dark comedy Bad Apples, which starred Saoirse Ronan. Brendan O’Hare penned the original script, bringing background experience from Adult Swim creations like This Is Branchburg and writing for outlets including The New Yorker.
Extensive Film and Streaming Slates for the Leads
Both lead actors manage heavy slates across major streaming platforms and theatrical slates. David Harbour wraps his five-season run on Netflix’s Stranger Things ahead of the new year. His upcoming projects include Courteney Cox’s crime thriller Evil Genius, Violent Night 2, the dark comedy Little One, Avengers: Doomsday as Red Guardian, John Rambo, and Fifth Season’s A Head Full of Ghosts.
John Cena secured his first Emmy nomination this year as an executive producer on Prime Video’s Heads of State, co-starring Idris Elba. His recent releases include Coyote vs. Acme and the Netflix comedy Little Brother. Upcoming appearances span Sam Hargrave’s Apple original Matchbox the Movie and the Netflix comedy One Attempt Remaining, where he stars opposite Jennifer Garner.
| Talent | Notable Recent Credits | Upcoming Projects |
|---|---|---|
| David Harbour | DTF St. Louis, Stranger Things | The Family Disappears, Avengers: Doomsday |
| John Cena | Heads of State, Coyote vs. Acme | The Family Disappears, Matchbox the Movie |
| Jonatan Etzler | Bad Apples | The Family Disappears |
Diverging Outlet Perspectives on Genre and Plot
While Deadline positions the feature primarily as a comedy with thriller undertones centering on an overworked dad returning from a work trip to find his home sold, The Cinemaholic characterizes the project as a sci-fi comedy feature. The Cinemaholic report notes that Cena portrays a distracted husband whose frantic search introduces him to a strange recruiter promising lonely people passage to an otherworldly realm, while also noting an alternative filming start timeline in October.
Fifth Season continues its active production cycle following Zoe Kazan’s Netflix limited series East of Eden, adapted from John Steinbeck’s novel. The studio’s next release is Peacock’s The Good Daughter, starring Rose Byrne and Meghann Fahy, scheduled to premiere on November 12.
